Herbal supplement (Combi-5) in the management of COVID 19 individual with mild to moderate symptoms: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: To explore repurposing known natural products for managing patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case report of a middle aged woman, who was positive to COVID 19, with mild to moderate symptoms; who self -managed at home using well formulated herbal supplement (Combi-5) taken along with vitamin C and Zinc supplements. She recovered within a short time. CONCLUSIONS: While we may not conclude from this report that Combi-5 was solely responsible for the recovery of the patient, we strongly believe that it played significant role through different mechanisms in facilitating early recovery from the infection. Further studies are needed to evaluate the phytochemical and pharmacological constituents of the supplement; investigate its direct effect(s) on SARS CoV-2 and conduct randomized controlled trial to elucidate its clinical benefits.

Preliminary Report on HIV-1 Vaccine Preparedness in Nigeria: Advantages of Recruiting University Students.

The national HIV seroprevalence in Nigeria has risen steeply from about 3% in 1993 to 5-8% in 2001 and now stands at 4.4%. HIV epidemic continues to be a serious threat to the most populous country in Africa with a population of 140 million, with limited use of antiviral drugs that is taken for life since it only suppresses the virus without completely eliminating the virus or leading to cure. Only a change in social behavior and an affordable vaccine can halt the epidemic in Africa. We report here results of a pilot study on the recruitment strategies, sociodemographic aspects and HIV risk behavior of a cohort of normal volunteers recruited at the University of Jos, Nigeria. Our study recorded a high degree of interest and zeal to participate in HIV vaccine studies by volunteers, and demonstrated the superiority of snowballing over invitation by mail, as a recruitment strategy. A cohort of university students may be particularly suitable for conducting HIV vaccine trials because of the assurance of prospective follow-up for up to four years (time to graduation), and a good understanding of the risks and benefits of participation as outlined in the informed consent. We had 100% retention during a follow-up period of two years. Most importantly, the cohort reflected a relatively low HIV seroprevalence, which gives preventive programs the potential to blunt or halt the epidemic.